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Parikkala

Parikkala
Municipality
Parikkalan kunta
Parikkala kommun
Church of Parikkala
Church of Parikkala
Coat of arms of Parikkala
Coat of arms
Location of Parikkala in Finland
Location of Parikkala in Finland
Coordinates: 61°33′N 029°30′E / 61.550°N 29.500°E / 61.550; 29.500
Country Finland
RegionSouth Karelia
Sub-regionImatra sub-region
Charter1635
Government
 • Municipality managerMervi Pääkkö
Area
 (2018-01-01)[1]
 • Total
760.71 km2 (293.71 sq mi)
 • Land591.91 km2 (228.54 sq mi)
 • Water167.78 km2 (64.78 sq mi)
 • Rank141st largest in Finland
Population
 (2024-10-31)[2]
 • Total
4,320
 • Rank184th largest in Finland
 • Density7.3/km2 (19/sq mi)
Population by native language
[2]
 • Finnish96.7% (official)
 • Swedish0.2%
 • Others3.1%
Population by age
[3]
 • 0 to 1410.2%
 • 15 to 6449.1%
 • 65 or older40.8%
Time zoneUTC+02:00 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+03:00 (EEST)
ClimateDfc
Websiteparikkala.fi

Parikkala (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈpɑrikːɑlɑ]) is a municipality of Finland located in the province of Southern Finland and is part of the South Karelia region, 97 kilometres (60 mi) from Lappeenranta and 139 kilometres (86 mi) from Joensuu. The town center of Parikkala is about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from the Russian border. The municipality has a population of 4,320 (31 October 2024)[2] and covers an area of 760.71 square kilometres (293.71 sq mi) of which 167.78 km2 (64.78 sq mi) is water.[1] The population density is 7.3 inhabitants per square kilometre (19/sq mi).

Parikkala is located around lake Simpele and it is a part of a countryside rich with hills and chains of ridges. The municipality is unilingually Finnish.

History

Lutheran church of Parikkala early 20th century

Settlements and artifacts dated to the Stone Age and Bronze Age have been found in Parikkala. A permanent settlement was established around the 15th century.

Many demarcations had a significant impact to Parikkala's development from the Treaty of Nöteborg on August 12, 1323, to peace treaties signed in 1947 with the Soviet Union; for example, in the Treaty of Nystad from 1721, which in practice defined roughly Finland's current border with Russia, Parikkala remained the only current Finnish municipality on the Russian side before the formation of the Grand Duchy of Finland.[5] After World War II, one third (199.3 km2) of Parikkala's area was handed over to the Soviet Union. The Orthodox Church has been very influential in this area since the Middle Ages. Later, Parikkala has become known for its many dairies. Parikkala became independent in 1617.

In 2004, three municipalities (Parikkala, Saari and Uukuniemi) merged to form one municipality called Parikkala.

Education

A comprehensive school, one of the first rural schools in Karelia of Ladoga, was founded in 1907. In 1910 the first three-class school building was built; later it expanded to include a gymnasium, hall and kitchen.[clarification needed] A grand piano was provided in the hall, and Finnish artists Toivo Kuula and Oskar Merikanto held their concerts there when visiting Parikkala. Upper secondary school started in the year 1940 and the first class graduated in 1943. The largest number of pupils was in the 1950s, when over 500 pupils attended school there.

Traveling and routes

Parikkala is located on the main railway line from Helsinki to Joensuu. A railway station is located in the middle of Parikkala village center. Traveling time is about three and half hours from Helsinki, and all passenger trains stop at Parikkala. The city of Imatra is about 60 km south of Parikkala.

Attractions

The sculpture park in Parikkala

One of Parikkala's most famous attractions is the park of more than 500 sculptures worked by Veijo Rönkkönen [fi], located along the Highway 6. This sculpture park has been called one of the "most terrifying places on Earth".[6]

Notable people

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Area of Finnish Municipalities 1.1.2018" (PDF). National Land Survey of Finland. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  2. ^ a b c "Finland's preliminary population figure was 5,635,560 at the end of October 2024". Population structure. Statistics Finland. 19 November 2024. ISSN 1797-5395. Retrieved 22 November 2024.
  3. ^ "Population according to age (1-year) and sex by area and the regional division of each statistical reference year, 2003–2020". StatFin. Statistics Finland. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  4. ^ a b "Luettelo kuntien ja seurakuntien tuloveroprosenteista vuonna 2023". Tax Administration of Finland. 14 November 2022. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
  5. ^ YLE: Rajakivestä löytyi "hymiö", jonka alkuperää ei tiedetä – kyseessä voi olla 300 vuotta vanha ruotsalaisvitsi (in Finnish)
  6. ^ Morton, Caitlin (17 October 2023). "The 23 Most Terrifying Places on Earth". Condé Nast Traveller. Retrieved 11 July 2024.

Media related to Parikkala at Wikimedia Commons Parikkala travel guide from Wikivoyage

Quelle: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parikkala